iGaming Editor
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Iām often asked about whether free bingo that pays real money really exists in the US of A, so I decided to put together this guide settling the matter once and for all.
The long and short of it is this ā free-to-play bingo games that pay out real money simply arenāt a thing in the US. However, sweepstakes casinos that offer virtual coin-powered bingo games and the potential to redeem Sweepstakes Coins (SC) for cash prizes do exist. Hereās everything you guys need to know about them.
If you read my introduction before scrolling down to this question, youāll know already that no, you canāt ā and there are several reasons why.
For starters, since 2011, real-money online bingo games have only actually been deemed legal in 10 US states (MI, NY, OR, WI, WA and SD). And even if you live in one of these places, cash bingo sites will literally never offer free bingo games. On the contrary, unless a mega-special bonus is on offer, theyāll want you to deposit some of your hard-earned USD before youāll be able to play at any of their bingo offerings at all.
So, where does that leave us? Well, what if I told you that free-to-play bingo sites with no purchase requirement do exist ā and that players in all bar three US states (ID, WA and NV) can usually play at them using SC, a virtual currency with a real-world prize-redeemable value, without having to part with a penny?
Well, I wouldnāt be kidding. Enter the world of sweepstakes casinos.
While the concept of free bingo that pays real money is all a bit pie-in-the-sky, I for one would argue that sweepstakes casinos that offer bingo games are the next best thing. Though it is important you fully understand how these sites work before you attempt playing at them.
So, hereās a few sweepstakes bingo basics. Get your head around the following, and youāll be good-to-go:
Right then, now everybody knows how sweepstakes free bingo apps and websites work, letās look at some of todayās top-ranking sweeps casinos that offer bingo-style games.
Hereās whatās up-for-grabs with five popular operators ā Pulsz Bingo, BingoPort, Golden Hearts Games and DingDingDing ā in terms of games, downloadable apps, and bonus offers:
How many sweepstakes bingo games are available? | Is there an app? | Latest bonus? |
|
---|---|---|---|
Pulsz Bingo | 6 | ā | 5,000 free GC + 2.3 SC. |
BingoPort | 40+ | ā | N/A. |
Golden Hearts Games | 3 | ā | 250,000 free GC + 500 SC. |
Ding Ding Ding | 1-3 | ā | 100,000 free GC + 5 SC. |
Bingo Blitz | 267 | ā | 300 Credits. |
All these sites have been the subject of many an online debate about free bingo that pays real money in the USA. Of course, none of the above brands actually offer that, but most of them offer both GC and SC-powered bingo games, as well as opportunities to redeem your SC for real-world prizes.
Hereās a closer look at what you guys can expect from each brand:
Serving-up a mixed platter of more than 800 different casino-style games, Pulsz Bingo offers much more than meets the eye. Here, youāll be able to play slots and megaways games on top of all their exciting bingo hall options.
Of course, this isnāt a site where you can play free online bingo and win real money with no deposit, but it does run on a traditional GC and SC-based sweepstakes model, where the latter coins are prize-redeemable just so long as you have 100 SC in your account or more.
On the day you register, Pulsz Bingo will award you 5,000 GC and 2.3 SC for free, as well as free coin reloads each day you login thereafter. The brandās available in app form if youāre an iOS or Android user (this is a rare feature indeed) and also offers 24/7 customer support.
Once again, you canāt play free bingo and win real money with no deposit at BingoPort. What you can do, however, is try your hand at more than 40 different bingo games using āPort Pointsā ā the siteās answer to SC.
Your Port Points can later be redeemed for Amazon shopping vouchers, accommodation packages in glitzy Las Vegas resorts and other goodies, though BingoPortās T&Cs page isnāt exactly crystal clear about which US states you can legally play from, or how many Port Points youāll need to request a prize redemption. Then thereās the matter of āAccess Tokensā ā another equally murkily-defined online currency that can be used to gain access to higher-level bingo games here.
Due to several niggling uncertainties around how the site works, I wouldnāt really recommend playing with these guys right now. My advice? Maybe check out Golden Hearts Games instead.
Golden Hearts Games is a very unique platform by sweepstakes casino standards ā and thatās exactly what I love about it. Here, you canāt play free online bingo with no deposit and win real money. What you can do, though, is take your pick from three classic and video-style bingo games, as well as slots, blackjack and scratchcards when choosing where to play your GC and SC.
Better yet, each time you purchase an optional GC package with the brand, 1% of your purchase will be automatically donated to a charity of your choice ā meaning you can support good causes every time you hit the bingo halls. That said, purchases are never mandatory, and there are several ways of collecting free GC/SC here, too, including daily reloads and a 250,000 GC and 500 SC welcome bonus.
Naturally, free bingo that pays real money isnāt a thing at DingDingDing either. That said, these guys offer a whole host of different bingo, slots and jackpot-style games fueled by GC and SC coins. Many are powered by major software brands like BetSoft and BGaming, too.
DingDingDing takes a baby steps-style approach to bingo and iGaming. When you first join, youāll get 100,000 free GC plus 5 SC, but will only be permitted to play at one bingo hall and a handful of slots games. Over time, youāll need to boost your āplayer levelā to unlock the rest of what the site has to offer. Itās a concept thatās been quite widely criticised, but I for one think itās an ideal set-up for bingo beginners ā you can find your feet with classic bingo from the outset, and unlock faster-paced, wilder and wackier games as you go.
Last, we have Bingo Blitz ā a bold and brash social bingo brand that promises āthe best free bingo game on the planetā. Though of course, youāre again looking at virtual coin-powered bingo here and not free bingo that pays real money.
Downloadable from either the App Store or Google Play, Bingo Blitz is a social-oriented gaming platform that allows you to play with (and make) friends, join teams, trade items and collect āSouvenirsā as you travel a digital world with your online buddies. If all that sounds a bit more like a just-for-fun Facebook game than an eyes-down bingo platform, thatād be because thatās basically what Bingo Port is.
Of course, bingo games are available, powered by GC-style āCreditsā, but as far as I can tell, thereās no option to play with SC-style coins or chase prize redemptions here, so you might do better playing with DingDingDing or Golden Hearts Games if thatās what youāre looking for.
You guys might not be able to play free bingo and win real money directly in the US right now, but sweepstakes bingo sites offer a wealth of opportunities to enjoy all the action of regular bingo, but with virtual coins. And who knows? You might even be able to rack up enough SC to redeem for a cash prize on your favorite sweep brandās prize redemption page.
So, itās a no-go for free bingo that pays real money for now then. But here are some tips from my end on how to enjoy sweepstakes bingo to the max:
We all know that iGaming laws in the US are super-strict. Nobody can currently play free bingo with no deposit to win real money, for example, while USD-powered bingo sites are currently flat-out prohibited in most states, with just 10 state-level exceptions.
Sweepstakes bingo platforms are of course the best option for most of us Americans, but when comparing them, itās imperative you check the T&Cs to make sure any brand youāre interested in:
All sweepstakes sites offer games that you can play with no up-front purchase requirement. But the fact of the matter is, at some point youāre probably going to want to buy a GC top-up. So, when comparing sweepstakes bingo alternatives to free bingo sites that pay real money, make sure they support payment methods you can trust, such as:
As I said, you can always enjoy free bingo with no deposit or purchase requirement at sweepstakes casinos by claiming a sign-up bonus. But once those initial free GC/SC have been played, youāre going to want to claim other free bonuses to stay in the game. So, look out for:
I hate to be the one to disappoint you, but as weāve seen, free bingo that pays real money simply isnāt a thing in the US right now ā which, of course, leaves you guys with just two real alternatives.
If you live somewhere like MI or NY, you might just about be able to find a site or two that offers real money bingo games, though these are likely to have an up-front deposit requirement. But if, like me, you donāt live in a state where real money gambling is regulated, and want to play for free, then sweepstakes bingo sites ā which offer virtual coin-powered bingo games with no purchase requirement – are definitely your best option.
As weāve seen, these sites offer immense benefits, from their broad US availability and state-of-the-art bingo games, to their purchase-free nature, and potential for you to redeem your SC for real-world prizes. The cream of the sweeps crop right now is, in my opinion, Golden Hearts Games, DingDingDing and Pulsz Bingo. Just be sure to shape-up on how GC and SC work before you get gaming with any of these, and youāll have a grand old time Iām sure
No, it doesnāt. IMHO, the next best thing is sweepstakes bingo, where you can play free bingo-style games using SC ā virtual tokens that can be redeemed for real-world prizes. My latest guides reveal how this works in full.
While free bingo that pays real money isnāt a thing in any US state, sweepstakes bingo sites can usually be enjoyed legally in all states besides WA, NV and ID. Having said that, Iād strongly advise double-checking your preferred brandās own T&Cs prior to registering with them, as some sites may prohibit players from accessing their free-to-play bingo games in other regions, too.
In short, you canāt, but some sweepstakes casinos, like Pulsz Bingo and DingDingDing, offer bingo-style games that can be played with no purchase requirement using potentially prize-redeemable SC coins.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.